From here to...well...it SEEMS like an eternity

[BrucePowers]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Moondawggie


It turns out that part of Stalker Girls extended relatives make the Clampetts look like urbane sophisticates. (If she ever reads this I am soooooo dead)

[:D][:D]

[BrucePowers]

Congratulations by the way. I hope all is well.

[bradfordkay]

"make the Clampetts look like urbane sophisticates."  

Well they were compared to most of the residents of Bugtussle and Hooterville! At least until that Douglas couple moved into the area... 

[Grotius]

Grats, Cap.

[Cap Mandrake]

********Near Tuguegarao, Luzon, 06:50, July 10, 1943*******


Major Hazard, CO of Blue Footed Booby Force, 7th Aus. Inf Div: <the Major leads a long column of men in twos along a paved road. He raises his hand to halt the column and makes inquiry of a man tending to some pigs> YOU THERE! We Aussie. We friends. Kill Japs <he mimics a machine gun> POW POW POW. Where Esso station? <mimics gas pump handle> Glug Glug Glug.

Pig Farmer: <in barely accented English> What do you neeed gasoline for? You have no vehicles.

Major Hazard, CO of Blue Footed Booby Force, 7th Aus. Inf Div: Ah, slendid! You speak English, then?

Pig Farmer: As do you, I see. We haven't had any gasoline here for almost two years. The Goddmaned Japs took it
all.

Major Hazard, CO of Blue Footed Booby Force, 7th Aus. Inf Div: Yes, I see. Well, really, we were looking for a map.

Pig Farmer: No maps here either. Most everyone around here knows where they are going.

Major Hazard, CO of Blue Footed Booby Force, 7th Aus. Inf Div: Ah, splendid. Could you direct us to <consults paper> Too....goo....aaaah...no....eeeeeh

Pig Farmer: Tuguegarao...yeah..2 miles, turn right at the Esso station. Best be careful, though. There are Japs there.

Major Hazard, CO of Blue Footed Booby Force, 7th Aus. Inf Div: JAPS!?? But we were told the place was unoccupied.

Pig Farmer: Not by me you weren't. Will there be shooting then?

Major Hazard, CO of Blue Footed Booby Force, 7th Aus. Inf Div: Quite possibly, yes.

Pig Farmer: Good luck with that. Put a bullet in Sgt Yoshimura for me. The guy is a sadistic one. I had best move my pigs along....

[BrucePowers]

Some real intel[:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

********Off Tuguegarao, Luzon, 11:50, July 10, 1943*******


It is a dark and stormy night. (not really...it's dark all right..but not stormy... I just always wanted to say that..now that I have it is oddly unsatisfying).

Oh, yes...the scene: Bridge of Tone. 3000 yds off Tuguegarao, Luzon. Tone is the flagship of a bombardment squadron of heavy cruisers out of Takao. The ships are in line ahead at 12 kts. All main guns point shoreward. To keep the men on their toes, the Admiral has ordered a special communication drill to pass messages aboard ship. All messages are to be passed verbally, man to man, in English. He liked to amuse himself with such things. It reminded him of his year of postgraduate study at UCLA.


Admiral Shimizu, CO, Special Luzon Bombardment Force: Captain, you may make your target the Esso station. Instruct the others to commence firing..HIGH EXPLOSIVE...LAND TARGET!

Ships Captain: HIGH EXPROSIVE.....RAND TARGET!

Sailor on flying bridge: HIGH EXPROSIVE.....RAND TARGET!

Next sailor: HIGH EXPROSIVE.....RAND TARGET!

Next sailor: HIGH EXPROSIVE.....RAND TARGET!.....

The Admiral begins to chuckle. With each repition his laugh grows louder.....

[Cap Mandrake]

********Near Tuguegarao, Luzon, 11:50:20, July 10, 1943*******



Major Hazard, CO of Blue Footed Booby Force, 7th Aus. Inf Div: <The Major leads a very tired band of men who have been marching for nearly 17 hrs and seem to be going in circles. As he turns a bend in the road his heart leaps with joy> IT'S THE ESSO STATION LADS!

[BrucePowers]

Uh Oh[X(]

[Cap Mandrake]

*********Mess Tent, 120 Sqdrn (Mariner equipped), RCAF, Suva, July 11, 1943**********


<An energetic young airman enters the tent carrying two large boxes>

Energetic young airman: HEY GUYS! CARE PACKAGES! I THINK THESE MIGHT BE GOOD! These are from...<looks at shipping label>...the Women's <he struggles a bit> Pro..phyl...lactic Society of Canada, Calgary Chapter.

<His enthusiasm, and the intriguing source of the Care package, rouse the men from their tropical torpor. They can hardly be blamed for their lassitude, given the heat and the fact that no Japanese vessels or aircraft have been seen for months..maybe the odd blue whale mistaken for a Jap sub..but that is it....sure there is the rumour about the Japs holed up in the mountains...but it is not like anyone can really say they have seen one. Eager hands rip at the boxes until it resembles a feeding frenzy of Oceanic White Tips. Then, when the container finally succumbs, 3 dozen dark bkue, knitted woolen, lumberjack hats spill over the floor. After an audible sigh, the men return to their torpor>

[Cap Mandrake]

Stalker Girl and the Mayan housekeeper are at each other's throats. [:D]

The Mayan actually advised me in all seriousness to avoid the Viking Long Boat ceremony. Stalker Girl was not amused. Now the Mayan feels she is not welcome. It is a colossal test of wills and national pride over access to the new Bosch front-loading washing machine. [:D]

I will try to broker a deal but I fear one may have to go. [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

*********Aboard USS Ashland, Landing Ship (Dock), 150 ESE of Oahu, July 11, 1943********


A small bunkroom has a beaded curtain divider and is covered with swing band posters and paisely wall paper. A young Sgt. of the US Army Medical Corps reclines in his bunk.

Sgt. Leary: Woooooowwwwwww.........

[BrucePowers]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Stalker Girl and the Mayan housekeeper are at each other's throats. [:D]

The Mayan actually advised me in all seriousness to avoid the Viking Long Boat ceremony. Stalker Girl was not amused. Now the Mayan feels she is not welcome. It is a colossal test of wills and national pride over access to the new Bosch front-loading washing machine. [:D]

I will try to broker a deal but I fear one may have to go. [:D]

Bosch, we went with the Kenmore model.[:)] I think my wife wants me to have more access to it..............

[T Rav]

Re: Sgt Leary.

My first guess is that his location means he has found some local vegetation that is known to have certain medicinal qualities... Alternatively, he may have already started his chemistry experiments.

Looking forward to the answer in the next installment.

Ciao,
T Rav

[Cap Mandrake]

**********Pearl Harbor, July 12, 1943*********


USS Ashland is dockside. A US Army Sgt. whose hair is a bit out of regulation and who wears curious octoganal glasses descends a ramp from the ship. The line behind him bunches up as he stops to stare at the clouds.


A US Army Sgt. whose hair is a bit out of regulation and who wears curious octoganal glasses: Woooowwww.


Another NCO in line: Come on, Leary, MOVE IT!


The line begins to move again. As the men step onto the dock, the large white ID characters of the ship can be seen behind them.

It reads: LSD-1

[BrucePowers]

[:D][:D]

[BrucePowers]

Queue the Moody Blues..........[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

...

[BrucePowers]

This game won't last past early 44 at this rate.[X(]

[Cap Mandrake]

Tuguegarao falls with it's level 4 airfield apparently intact. The initial landings at Legaspi go very well without shore gun or naval mine losses. 2 tanks regts. and 6th ID will arrive at Legaspi within 2 days.

Haruna and Kongo have again sortied. They could reach Legaspi which could make for an interesting surface battle v PoW, Shropsire, Australia and a RN CL and 3 DD. Any heavily damaged ships would be targets for bombers from Tacloban at daylight, however.

I now need to get engineers and supply to Tuguegarao to support the next leap....probably Batan Is. in the Strait of Formosa.